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Makerere is Set For The Next Century, Says Prof. Nawangwe

Published

4 years ago

November 25, 2021

Mak@100

Makerere University Vice Chancellor Prof.Barnabas Nawangwe speaking at the Stakeholder Mobilisation Event on November 25th 2021. It was the first of many events that the university will host to mark its centennial journey.

“Our promise is that we are set for the next century of service to humanity,” said Makerere University Vice Chancellor, Prof Barnabas Nawangwe as the institution on Thursday 25th November 2021 kicked off a series of events to mark its centennial anniversary in October next year.

It’s a promise that Prof Nawangwe made to more than 100 stakeholders gathered in Freedom Square, Makerere. About other 150 stakeholders and alumni joined the event online through Zoom and YouTube live streaming. Hon. Dan Kidega, the chairperson Makerere@100 Organizing Committee and deputy Makerere University Council Chairperson thanked stakeholders for responding positively to the university invitation and urged them to keep up the spirit in the next series of activities.

But before making the promise, Prof Nawangwe recounted the university’s centennial journey. Makerere started in 1922 as a technical school teaching carpentry and masonry, he said. Then, it became a college. In 1924, medicine, agriculture and teacher training courses were introduced. At the time, students were learning from grass thatched classrooms.

Within a decade, as the colonial government became cognisant of the impact the college was having, they agreed that more investment was needed. Thus, the 1930s and 1940s were decades of massive expansion. The colonial government turned to Buganda Kingdom requesting for land to expand the university but all kingdom officials were hesitant to give out land, except then Katikiro Martin Lurther Nsibirwa. And his decision to grant Makerere land led to his assassination in 1945. “Nsibirwa signed a document which allowed colonial government to annex land in public interest” Prof. Nawangwe said. “Katikiro was eventually assassinated for that decision on the steps of Namirembe Cathedral where he had gone to pray.”

In a period of rapid expansion that followed, Prof. Nawangwe noted that the colonial government solicited money from the 18 districts that made up Uganda at the time, each contributing a minimum 0f 2,500 pounds for infrastructure development of Makerere. After this expansion and its affiliation to the University of London, Makerere attracted more students from across the continent. These became catalysts of change and played a crucial role in shaping their home countries after independence in the 1950s and 1960s.

Shaping African Leaders

To illustrate Makerere’s influence across the continent, Makerere University Council Chairperson Lorna Magara, quoted Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o– a prominent university alumnus– review of Carol Sicherman’s book; Becoming an African University: Makerere 1922-2000.

“In its various manifestations in time Makerere University is inseparable from a certain sense of applied Pan-Africanism,” Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o noted in the review as quoted by Lorna Magara. “In its heyday, it brought together students from East and Central Africa and Nigeria. But the story of Makerere in terms of the glorious and the gory, hope and despair and hope again, is really the story of Africa.”

Government Chief Whip Hon. Thomas Tayebwa also highlighted Makerere’s role in training post-independence Africa leaders. “If you go to Ghana, Tanzania, Zambia, among other countries, you will find that people who were running governments after independence were Makerere alumni,” he said. Through literature, Makerere alumni such as Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o, Tayebwa said shaped the minds of Africans not only to fight for independence but also prepared them for post independence leadership.

Lorna Magara said Makerere@100 organising committee through its history, culture and future documentation sub-committee has embarked on a book project to document the university’s history. The book will have themes on how Makerere has provided skilled human resources for East African society, has contributed knowledge through research and innovation, contributed to democratic governance and the building of social institutions in East Africa, contributed to the economic development of East Africa, contributed to curriculum development in East Africa and the challenges it has faced and continues to face.

Research and innovation

Prof. Nawangwe said the university has produced cutting edge research and technology such as the electric car—the first on the continent, tuberculosis rapid testing kit which is used globally, the anti-tick vaccines which is undergoing mass production among others. He said the university has produced more than 200 innovations during the pandemic.

Hon. Thomas Tayebwa challenged the university to do more research that can help the government to transform Uganda by bringing more people in the money economy. He pledged more research and innovation funding from the government.

Makerere, Prof Nawangwe said, is ready for the challenge. “We will leverage our successes of the past to solve new societal problems,” he said.

Related Topics:#MakerereAt100 Africa featured history innovation Research Stakeholders

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Mature Age Scheme Exam Results for 2025/2026

Published

8 hours ago

June 27, 2025

Mak Editor

The Office of Academic Registrar, Makerere University has released full results for the Mature Age Entry Scheme Examinations for the Academic Year 2025/2026 held on Saturday 14th December, 2024.

The Candidates who scored a final mark of 50% and above passed the examination and have been recommended by the Pre-Entry & Mature Age Committee to the University’s Admissions Board for Consideration.

The Aptitude Exam Results for 2025/2026 Academic Year released in February 2025 can be found here.

Mature-Age-Entry-Exam-Results-2025-2026 Download

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Directorate of Graduate Training Completes Training of First Cohort Training of Supervisors

Published

2 days ago

June 26, 2025

Mak Editor

By Moses Lutaaya

The Directorate of Graduate Training (DGT) has in collaboration with Centre for Teaching and Learning completed the training of the first cohort of Graduate Supervisors.

Participants were academic staff from two colleges namely, College of Engineering, Art and Design (CEDAT) and the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (CAES).

The three-day training that took place at the Telepresence Centre, Senate Building ended on Friday 20^thJune 2025.

In his closing remarks to the participants, the Director of Graduate Training Prof. Julius Kikooma said, “This is the first cohort we are working together with the Center for Teaching and Learning to put together continuous professional development Program so that we are able to enforce the new teaching and learning policy.”

He said that before lecturers are allocated students for supervision, they must first go through this form of formal teaching and learning training to equip them thoroughly with certification required of supervision of graduate students.

“We are coming up with process to ensure that the certificates earned by participants allow you to supervise graduate students. This is the direction of the university and we must ensure that such trainings are concluded and completed successfully by all participants”, Prof. Kikooma.

Prof. Julius Kikooma – Director of Graduate Training

“We can only have you certified upon completing all the exercises in the training process. This is when you will be eligible to receive the work load for supervision”, He added.

“This training of Supervisors is going to be continuous so that all academic staff in colleges and schools are equipped. This first cohort is going to be our building block to the future trainings in the colleges.”

With such capacity building trainings, Prof. Kikooma said that the university is on the right path to achieving its targets in the new strategic plan of increasing the number of graduate students while progressively reducing the under graduate students.

He further hinted that, “We are in the process of writing a curriculum on this, which will be presented for approval before it is rolled out.”

He echoed all participants to share the knowledge they have acquired adding, “Share all you have learnt, do not keep it. Be open minded, have proper communication channels and the sky will be the limit for you.”

Dr. Robinah N. Kulabako, The Head of Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at CEDAT welcomed the training adding, “This training is very pertinent. I have had the opportunity to supervise Masters and PhD students for over 15 years and I must say that the need to be subjected to this training cannot be over emphasized because there is need to learn, unlearn and relearn many aspects involved in the supervision process.”

She added, “We are moving towards knowledge-based supervision rather than experience-based supervision. This means we must be informed and equipped to be able to advise, guide and mentor to be able to lead a successful supervision journey for both supervisor and supervisee.”

Dr. Andrew Gilbert Were – a lecturer at CEDAT and a participant said, “It is important that all supervisors of graduate students receive this certification from Makerere University through a systematic training process that enables them to attain diverse skills to facilitate learning of graduate students from diverse cultures and with unique set of circumstances.”

“This training is long overdue. In fact, it was an oversight that we could be allowed to supervise students without undergoing supervisors’ training.”

Dr. Dorothy Ssebowa, The Director Centre for Teaching and Learning support- CEES said, “The training this time round has had a mix of early career professionals including Lecturers, Supervisors and Professors share experiences. We have learnt a lot more from experienced supervisors who have shared practices on how they have done supervision over the years.”

“The knowledge and experience-based approaches have made this collaboration very active, interactive and learner centered which has resulted into a collaborative learning from the interdisciplinarity of staff from CEDAT and CAES. The issue now is to continue with professional development across all levels.” She added.

The Makerere University Directorate of Graduate Training (DGT) in collaboration with the Centre for Teaching and Learning completed the training of the first cohort of Graduate Supervisors. This activity was supported by the iCARTA – Institutionalization of Advanced Research Training in Africa, a NORHED II Project at Makerere University.

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CEDAT’s Department of Architecture to Undergo Major Studio Refurbishment with Industry Support

Published

2 days ago

June 26, 2025

Alex Isemaghendera

R-L: Arch. Kenneth Ssemwogerere (Head of Department, Architecture), Dr. Kizito Maria Kasule (Deputy Principal, CEDAT), and Mr. Kayongo Daniel (Plascon Uganda National Sales Manager) during the official handover of a donation at the College of Engineering, Design, Art and Technology (CEDAT), Makerere University, on Tuesday, 25th June 2025.

The Department of Architecture at Makerere University’s College of Engineering, Design, Art, and Technology (CEDAT) is set to begin a significant refurbishment of its design studios starting 1st July 2025. This initiative marks a pivotal step in enhancing the learning environment for architecture students and fostering innovation in design education.

The refurbishment project has received a significant boost from Kansai Placon Uganda Limited, which donated UGX 15 million worth of paint to support the transformation. This contribution highlights the growing partnership between academia and industry in shaping the future of architectural education in Uganda.

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